The Tigress of Fairy Tail
by Psychotic Nightmare
Summary: What happens when Lucy hides a secret from all of Fairy Tail, and only a few people in her life know? What about when a stranger turns up at the guild one day, and seems to know Lucy? BEWARE OF OOC-NESS.
1. A Surprise Visit

**A/N: This doesn't have any particular time in the plot, and therefore may or may not have certain characters.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, but I do own the plot, idea and Ren.**

* * *

Lucy sat at the bar of Fairy Tail, absentmindedly sipping a cup of water. Mira, who had noticed Lucy's lack of attention, was attempting to bring Fairy Tail's resident Stellar Spirit mage back to earth - er, earthland.

"Lucy? Hello? Anyone home?" The white-haired barmaid waved a hand in front of Lucy's face, only to be completely ignored. Lucy only came back to reality as a piece of stray ice hit her in the back of her head.

"Gray! What the hell?" Lucy yelled, spinning around to glare at the half-naked Ice Make mage, who had frozen - no, not literally - in the middle of a fight with Natsu.

"S-sorry Lucy!" Gray apologized, suddenly frightened at Lucy's annoyed expression.

Natsu looked at Lucy with a weird expression, sensing something was wrong with his friend and teammate. He dropped his fight with Gray and walked over to Lucy, a frown on his face. "Lucy, what's bothering you?" he asked, sincere.

"Nothing, Natsu. I'm just thinking," Lucy replied, adverting her eyes. Mira, who had watched the whole thing, decided to speak up.

"What were you thinking about, Lucy? Someone _special_?" Mira asked innocently, giving a sly smile to Lucy, who now had a light dusting of pink on her cheeks.

"N-no. Just... something," Lucy stammered, turning away from her friend. She turned her eyes to the floor, not looking at Mira nor Natsu, not even Gray and Erza, who had appeared during their conversation.

Natsu attempted to decipher what Lucy was thinking when the guild doors opened with a bang and a deep voice echoed through the guild, which went silent.

"Yo, Luce! I'm here!"

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**A/N: Anyways, here's the first chapter. Sorry it's so short. It's my first fanfic and I lost my muse in the middle of typig it. So, do me a favor and review?**


	2. Cobalt Blue

**A/N: I know I shouldn't have posted the next chapter so soon... Oh well. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and favorited!**

**Standard Disclaimer applies.**

* * *

_~Recap~_

_Natsu attempted to decipher what Lucy was thinking when the guild doors opened with a bang and a deep voice echoed through the guild, which went silent._

_"Yo, Luce! I'm here!"_

* * *

Lucy looked at the figure standing in the doorway before nearly falling off her stool in surprise. The voice belonged to a tall man that had wavy black hair and dark skin. He wore a white dress shirt that had the first few buttons undone, dark jeans that were faded at the knees, as well as black sandals. But, despite his handsome features, his most distinguishing feature were cobalt-blue eyes that twinkled and made any woman's heart melt.

Natsu glared at the man and stalked up to him, even though he was shorter than the stranger, although not by much. "Who are you and what the hell do you want with Lucy?" he growled.

"Easy, Pinky. That's for me and Luce to know, and you to find out," the man chuckled.

By that time, Lucy had sprung off her chair and rushed to the scene, pushing Natsu away and grabbing the collar of the man's shirt, pulling him down to her level so she couldwhisper harshly in his ear, "What the hell are you doing here?" to which the man gave another chuckle.

"Lucy, you should know by now that we tigers are extremely possessive," he whispered back into her ear.

Natsu, who could hear the conversation due to his heightened senses, was puzzled over their conversation.

Thay spent a few minutes in silence, chocolate brown eyes staring into cobalt blue ones and vise versa, until Mira spoke up from the bar.

"Sooo, Lucy, when are you going to introduce us to your handsome friend?" the Takeover mage teased, earning a light blush from Lucy and another chuckle from the man.

"Aah, right. This is Dhiren Karys, and old friend of mine," Lucy explained nervously.

"Luce, we're more than just friends," Dhiren said, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind, making Natsu feel a sudden feeling in his chest that he had never felt before.

Lucy sighed as she removed Dhiren's arms from her waist, "Yes, Ren. We _are_ just friends."

Dhiren gave a cute pout at Lucy, who glared at him.

"So, Dhiren, what brings you to Fairy Tail?" Mira asked, uncomfortable with the situation, but at the same time forming a matchmaking scheme.

Cana however, shouted out, "Lucy! Where have you been hiding a hunk like him?" She was, of course, drunk, so most people disregarded her statement, although a few people agreed with her.

Gajeel, who had watched the whole scene with Levy and Pantherlily, whispered to Levy, "What I want to know is how Bunny Girl met him and who he is." Levy nodded in agreement.

Lucy gave an annoyed look and dragged Dhiren out of the guild, and only after noticing that Natsu, Gray, Erza and Happy were following them, headed into the forest.

* * *

After going about a mile into the forest, Lucy stopped, let go of Dhiren, and turned to face him, her arms crossed over her chest. "Change," she ordered.

Dhiren gave her an abashed look and said quietly to her, "You know your friends are watching."

"No dip, Sherlock. Now change," Lucy sneered.

Dhiren sighed in defeat and closed his eyes. His body was soon overcome by a light blue glow that slowly faded to reveal a big white tiger, with cobalt blue eyes, where Dhiren had been standing the minute before.

* * *

**A/N: SECOND CHAPTER, YAY! This chapter is a bit longer because I couldn't find a good place to leave off. Anywho, how was it? Did you see it coming? TELL ME IN THE FORM OF REVIEWS!**


	3. The Explanation

**A/N: Aww, now I feel loved. I didn't know my story would get so popular. Anyways, thanks for the reviews and favorites.**

**Standard Disclaimer applies.**

* * *

_~Recap~_

_Dhiren sighed in defeat and closed his eyes. His body was soon overcome with a blue glow that slowly faded to reveal a big white tiger, with blue eyes, where Dhiren had been standing the minute before._

* * *

In unison, Happy, Gray and Erza gasped in surprise as they stared at the white tiger. Natsu, however, just frowned, the conversation he had heard between Lucy and Dhiren beginning to make sense.

Lucy turned to face the trees where the rest of Team Natsu was hiding. "You guys can come out now. We know you're there," she said bluntly.

Her friend stepped from behind the trees to look at Lucy with serious faces. Erza was composed again, Gray had subconsciously stripped to only his boxers, Happy was floating in the air with a dumbfounded look, and Natsu was staring at the two, onyx eyes flicking back and forth.

"Lucy, you have some serious explaining to do," Erza stated, earning a nod from Gray.

Lucy was just about to answer when Natsu spoke up.

"It makes sense now. That little conversation when he said 'We tigers are extremely possessive,'" he mused.

Lucy sighed. "I will explain everything; it's time Fairy Tail found out," she said, turning to Happy. "Happy, I need you to go back to the guild and bring Master, Wendy, Charle, Levy, Gajeel and Pantherlily. I know since Wendy and Gajeel are Dragon Slayers, they probably scented something strange about Ren. Do not tell any of them anything. So go get all six, got it?"

Happy nodded slowly, to surprised to say anything, and flew back to the guild at top-speed as Lucy turned back to the others, her face unreadable. It was then that the tiger decided to speak up.

"Are you sure Lucy? They might not ever treat you the same," he said, looking at her with big eyes.

"Of course. They deserve to know."

* * *

Meanwhile, Happy had arrived at the guild and zoomed straight to Makarov's office, quickly explaining that Lucy needed to see him, Wendy, Charle, Levy, Gajeel, and Pantherlily in the forest. Makarov, puzzled, agreed and went to gather everyone he said. Five minutes later, the troop of six, seven including Happy, set off towards the forest.

They arrived at the scene and all eyes were immediately drawn to the tiger that was now trembling with his ears pressed against his head.

_Flashback:_

_"Of course. They deserve to know."_

_"B-but Luce! Think about what will happen!" Dhiren protested._

_"Shut up! You have no right to question by decisions!" Lucy growled, smacking Dhiren as hard as she could (which was considerably hard) on his head._

_End Flashback_

"Master, I apologize for keeping this from you for so long, but I am not technically human," Lucy said apologetically.

"And _what_ do you mean by that?" Makarov asked.

"This." Lucy was enveloped by a soft golden glow that faded to reveal Lucy, who was now a magnificent golden tiger with brown eyes, which had flecks of blue in them. Even for a tiger, she was beautiful, her fur long and soft-looking.

"L-Lu-chan?" Levy squeaked.

"Woah," Charle and Pantherlily said in unison, while a "Hmmmm" was heard from Gajeel. Wendy, who was now just as startled at Happy, just stared.

"Explain," Makarov ordered.

Lucy took a long breath before saying, "In the mountains surrounding my old house, there is a clan of tigers with the ability to change into the form of a human. My mother was the one tigress of all the clan that was named the 'Tiger Goddess.' After she met my father, however, she left the clan to live in the Heartfilia estate. Thus, I am half tiger, half human." She settled down on the ground and crossed her front paws as she continued, "Before my mother died, I had no idea that she was a tiger. Soon after the funeral, Ren's mother came along to bring me to the clan and teach me about my mother's family. Ren was just a cub then, as was I. So I was not training, Ren and I explored the territory. After a few months of living with them, it was announced that I was the next Tiger Goddess. I accepted this, but I was still just a cub at that time. As time passed, I realized I was not fit for the task, so I ran away." At this, Dhiren gasped.

"So that's why you ran away!" His eyes were wide and he was staring straight at Lucy, who glared at him and then bit down sharply on one of his ears, earning a yelp from his as she drew blood.

"Shut _up_, you incompetent fool," Lucy growled, "And so, as I was saying, the last time I was in tiger form was before I joined Fairy Tail, because every time I changed, my tiger scent would become stronger and I was afraid you would find out."

Her audience stared at her and Dhiren whimpered in the background, wiping one paw against his bloody ear. Lucy twitched as she listened to the whimpering behind her, and then asked her guildmates in a dangerously sweet voice, "Does anybody want to see two tigers fighting?" which earned a few surprised looks. Dhiren immediately froze in place and faced her, his eyes wide. Lucy was now on her paws, her claws fully exposed as she ran a pink tongue over her gleaming fangs.

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**A/N: Yeah... This chapter was kinda rushed, so sorry for any grammar mistakes.**


	4. Scarlet, Gold and White

**A/N: Here you go!**

**I was asked by he SexyBitchesFromFiore about Lucy's OOC-ness. In response: Lucy doesn't hate Ren, it's more of a one sided sibling rivalry between the two since Ren is always hitting on Lucy. And, when Lucy is in tigeress form, she's more hot-tempered and easy to aggravate. Does that answer your questions?**

**This chapter is a bit bloody, so be warned. And I put some GaLe in there for your enjoyment. And some jealousy from Natsu and Loke. Yup. Enjoy.**

**Standard Disclaimer applies.**

* * *

_~Recap~_

_Her audience stared at her and Dhiren whimpered in the background, wiping one paw against his bloody ear. Lucy twitched as she listened to the whimpering behind her, and then asked her guildmates in a dangerously sweet voice, "Does anybody want to see two tigers fighting?" which earned a few surprised looks. Dhiren immediately froze in place and faced her, his eyes wide. Lucy was now on her paws, her claws fully exposed as she ran a pink tongue over her gleaming fangs._

* * *

"But... But... But, _Luuucyyy_!" Dhiren whined.

"Come at me, Ren. I haven't sparred in _forever_. And I bet the only thing you've sparred with were butterflies," Lucy teased, turning to face her old friend.

"Fine. But don't blame me if you get hurt," growled Dhiren, standing and giving Lucy a grimace that clearly said _'I don't want to do this.'_

"Likewise." Lucy crouched, baring her teeth in a snarl. A challenging growl ripped from her throat as her tail lashed back and forth.

"This should be fun to watch," Gajeel stated bluntly, earning a slap from Levy.

"They could be seriously injured!" the Solid Script mage hissed. Gajeel shrugged and kept his eyes focused on the two tigers that were now in battle stances.

"Hmmm..." Erza, Gray, Natsu, Wendy, Makarov, Charle, and Pantherlily all said in unison. Poor Happy was still dumbstruck and floating at Natsu's shoulder, his limbs limp and mouth agape.

And then the battle began.

Dhiren narrowed his eyes and charged, his teeth bared in a snarl as a growl escaped through his teeth. About five feet away from Lucy, he leapt into the air with front paws outstretched and claws at the ready. it seemed he was about to hit Lucy, but the girl sidestepped at the last minute, causing Dhiren to faceplant in the dirt which earned a low chuckle from Gajeel and a sharp sound as Levy smacked him again.

"Oh, come _on_. You can do better than that," Lucy said in a smooth purr. Just at that minute, however, Loke decided to appear in a flash of gold. Lucy, surprised, looked at Loke with wide eyes and Dhiren took advantage of her lack of attention and pounced on her back, sinking his claws into her shoulders. The girl let out a strangled roar before flipping her head around to grip his paw in her jaws. He yelped as she flipped him off her and slammed him into the ground, making the ground resonate with the force of the impact. She crunched down on the paw before letting go and swiping her claws across his face, blood soon dripping from the diagonal marks on his cheek.

"Don't slack off!" Lucy hissed, swiping again to land a blow on his shoulder. Dhiren pressed his ears against his head as he let out a ragged pant, giving Lucy a glare that sent shivers down the audiences' spine, even though the glare wasn't aimed at them.

"You asked for it, Luce." Dhiren jumped to his paws and snaked around to her side, where he raked his claws from her shoulder to her hip. Levy gasped as blood splattered the ground and Gajeel, with a smirk, moved his hand in front of her eyes only to have Levy grab it and push it away.

"You little!" Lucy leapt at him and sunk her teeth into his scruff, pulling him down where they exchanged blows. To the guild members present, the two battling tigers appeared to be a blur of white, gold and black with the occasional gleam of teeth or claws. The blur soon stopped to a Lucy holding Dhiren down with one paw on his neck and another on his side. Both tigers were panting heavily. "I win," Lucy stated, stepping away and plopping down to lick her wounds. Her tongue ran over the three cuts that an along her side.

"Well, that was... unexpected," Makarov said with wide eyes. "But what about those injuries?"

"Don't worry. They heal fast," both chirped at the same time. As they spoke, their wounds fizzled with red light and as the light faded, there was no remaining traces of the wounds. Lucy took this chance to change back, and she stood there with her arms above her head in a stretch. Dhiren changed, as well. With a smirk, he put an arm around Lucy's shoulders, earning him a death glare. Loke and Natsu, who had watched this felt a stir of jealousy in their chests.

Lucy shook the arm from around her shoulders and suggested, "Well, let's get back to the guild. And nobody is to know about this. _Got it_?" Her eyes roved meaningfully around the entire group, lingering on Loke.

In unison, they all gulped and nodded.

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**A/N: Crappy chapter, I know. Don't kill me for it.**


	5. Natsu's Surprise

**A/N: Sorry for the late update, but I have things to do so from now on I will only be updating weekly. Anyways, thanks for all the reviews and favorites, I really appreciate them! And yes, Loke does play an important roll. **

**Standard Disclaimer applies.**

* * *

_~Recap~_

_Lucy shook the arm from around her shoulders and suggested, "Well, let's get back to the guild. And nobody is to know about this. Got it?" Her eyes roved meaningfully around the entire group, lingering on Loke._

_In unison, they all gulped and nodded._

* * *

As they were walking back to the guild, Loke decided to speak up, and he earned quite a few exasperated sighs and eye rolls.

"So, Lucy's a tiger then? I could get used to that." His voice ended in a seductive purr.

Dhiren took one glance at Loke and immediately felt deep-seated hatred rise up in him. "So Luce, what's with the playboy?" he asked, his tone a bit gruffer than needed.

"His name is _Loke,_ and he's one of my spirits," the blonde answered defensively, sensing Dhiren's hatred. She would _not _tolerate anyone bad-mouthing her spirits. "He's the lion."

"And the lion is _always _stronger than the tiger," Loke butt in.

"You wanna bet on that, _Playboy_?" Dhiren growled, glaring daggers at the Stellar Spirit. Loke was immensely proud with the fact he had gotten under his new rival's skin.

While the two bickered, Natsu was lagging behind the group with his eyes trained on Lucy. When Dhiren had hurt her, he had felt the need to protect his teammate, but when the white tiger put an arm around her, all he wanted to do was rip that arm straight from his body.

_Nobody lays a hand_ _on _my _Lucy. Wait, did I just say 'my Lucy?' _Natsu mulled it over, startling himself when he thought 'my Lucy.'

"Natsu. Hey, Natsu!" The Dragon Slayer was jerked out of his reverie as he heard Lucy calling his name. It was only when he looked at her face creased with worry that he realized she had been calling his name for quite some time now. The rest of the group had gone ahead and the two of them were now alone. "Are you okay, Natsu? You spaced out for a minute there," Lucy asked, her voice warm with kindness.

"I'm fine... I think," Natsu replied slowly. He was honestly confused now. When he looked into Lucy's eyes, he was completely entranced, as if the girl had put him under a spell. He almost didn't notice the heat rising across his cheeks until Lucy pressed a hand to his forehead.

"Are you sure you're not sick? You look a bit red in the face." Lucy's pretty face was marred by the concern she felt for her friend.

"I-I don't know, Luce," he said, adopting Dhiren's nickname. For some reason, as soon as that nickname fell from his lips, a bright red crept it's way across her cheeks.

"C-come on, Natsu. Let's get back to the guild." Lucy took his hand and began to lead the way back to Fairy Tail, but was stopped as she felt Natsu pull her back.

Natsu had completely lost it. Her sweet scent, which was a mixture of lavender and vanilla, filled his nose and as soon as her soft skin touched his, he was pushed over the edge. Lost in the deep abyss, his instincts took over as he pulled her in to place a soft, gentle kiss on her lips. Surprised, Lucy stiffened but soon relaxed in his warm grip. Natsu was overcome with want as all tension left her body. He slowly began to deepen the kiss, as if asking Lucy if it was alright. He felt a thrill spark in his chest as she hesitantly began kissing him back. her hand twined in his pink hair as his firm grip pulled her closer, but they needed to breathe _sometime._

They pulled away, panting, as Lucy peered into his eyes, questioning. He placed another, sweeter kiss on her lips before a crashing through the forest interrupted them and two panting figures appeared, their eyes widening as they spotted the two intimate people.

"What the hell are you doing?" Dhiren and Loke yelled in unison.

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**A/N: I can't help but feel I could've done better on this chapter. But, unfortunately, I had to take my dog to the vet since she ate some unknown substance (it can't be helped. This is the dog that wanted to be friends with a rattlesnake) so, this chapter was rushed and I wanted to be a somewhat good updater. And here I am, making excuses. Just don't kill me. And as I said before, I will be only updating weekly from now on. **


	6. Claimed

**A/N: I opened my email this morning and you know how many subscriptions, faves, follows and reviews I had? _40!_ I love you guys so much!  
**

**Standard Disclaimer applies.**

* * *

_~Recap~_

_"What the hell are you doing?" Dhiren and Loke yelled in unison.  
_

* * *

Lucy jumped away from Natsu, blushing madly. Natsu however, just glared at the two and if looks could kill, Dhiren and Loke would be six feet under by now. The two intruders were somehow panting heavily, glaring and yelling incomprehensible words at the same time.

Dhiren was the first to be able to form actual words and yelled at them both, "What the hell?"

Lucy attempted to stutter something but Natsu stepped in front of her and growled in response, "I kissed her. You have a problem?"

"Hell yeah I have a problem! Lucy's mine! _I _claimed her!" Dhiren roared.

"What the hell do you mean _'claimed'_? Lucy's not a to-" Natsu's rant was interrupted by Lucy stepping around him and storming up to Dhiren.

"You _what_? You had no right! And when? Where's the mark?" she questioned, eyes burning with anger.

"I claimed you, Lucy. When we were still young. The mark is on your back, between your shoulder blades." Dhiren smirked triumphantly, making Lucy slap him as hard as possible. The girl twisted around, attempting to look between her shoulder blades for the mark. She finally found it. A tribal style marking of a stalking tiger the color of Dhiren's eyes.

"You... You bastard. I can't believe this," Lucy muttered, turning back around to glare at the perpetrator. "I want you away from Magnolia. Even more so Fairy Tail. If I catch even a glimpse of you of a whiff of your scent, I will track you down and kill you myself!" she ordered, the golden glow beginning to envelop her body.

"You can distance yourself all you want, Lucy. It won't change the fact you're mine." Dhiren stood his ground, that annoying smirk still on his face as Lucy morphed.

With an agitated roar, Lucy threw herself at Dhiren, claws extended to kill. Right before she hit her target, the man shifted to a tiger and bounded away through the forest, Lucy dead on his heels. As the sound of the two crashing through the forest faded, Natsu and Loke looked at each other.

Oddly enough, the two spoke at the same time, "...The hell was that?"

Soon enough, the crashing returned and Lucy appeared with a huff. She changed back, looking at two questioning men. With a sigh, she began to explain, "You see, when tigers reach a certain age, they begin to search for their tigress. When they find the one they want, they put a mark on them and that mark can be anywhere. The mark is the color of the male's eyes, so other males stay away from the female. This process is known as a 'claim'. Stupid bastard must have claimed me when I was asleep."

"So... He practically owns you?" Loke questioned uncertainly.

"Of course not! The female only belongs to the male once they..." Lucy retorted, but trailed off.

"Once they what?" Natsu asked.

"Once they... you know... mate." Lucy flinched at the word and sudden realization dawned on Loke and Natsu's faces.

"Well... Is there a way to reverse the claim?" Loke asked.

"There is one. The claimed female has to kill the male that claimed her," Lucy said, eyes flicking between the two.

"Oh. I guess that's not an option." Loke agreed with Natsu's statement, the fact that the lion spirit had caught the two kissing banished from his mind.

"Well, let's get back to the guild. They're probably worried," suggested Lucy, turning around to walk back down the path.

Exchanging glances, the two men quietly followed her.

* * *

**A/N: And now I fell awful for not updating sooner. So, to make it up to you, I will update two chapters today.  
**


	7. A Bad Feeling

**A/N: Second chapter for today, as promised! Sorry it's a bit short; my creative juices quit flowing halfway through. But don't worry, there are going to be some big chapters in the near future!  
**

**Standard Disclaimer applies.**

* * *

_~Recap~_

_Exchanging glances, the two men quietly followed her.  
_

* * *

Now back at the guild, Lucy stomped over to an empty table and sat down. Loke had gone back to his world, leaving Natsu to sit next to Lucy.

"Lucy, where's Dhiren?" Erza asked, taking a place on the other side of Lucy.

"That bastard is gone. Hopefully for good," Lucy grumbled. Erza turned to Natsu for him to explain.

"Apparently, the guy 'claimed her' or something like that. Luce chased him off," Natsu sighed. Erza raised a brow at the nickname but said nothing.

"What do you mean, 'claimed her'?"

Lucy began to explain the concept of the claim again, even telling her how to reverse it. She also told her that no matter how much of a bastard he was, she refused to kill an old friend.

"...Oh," Erza stated after a minute. "That's harsh."

"That's one way to put it. But I can't shake the feeling Ren's going to do something bad," said Lucy, a frown placed on her lips.

Her two friends shrugged but said nothing more on the matter. In fact, Natsu started a fight with Gray and Erza pulled a cake from somewhere (probably a cake requip) and everything in Fairy Tail returned to normal. Well, as normal as it could get when some of the members knew that their favorite Stellar Sprirt mage was a tiger.

* * *

As they talked, Dhiren was just a flash of white and black fur as he raced towards the forest he called home. No, it wasn't just _his _home, it was Lucy's home too. And he wasn't going to let that guild of weaklings keep his mate from him.

* * *

**A/N: Oh yeah! I almost forgot to mention: Neko-Tiara is writing a story similar to mine, but we already sorted it all out so don't accuse either of us for plagiarism. **


	8. Notice

**This is not a new chapter as much as it is a notice. **

**For some reason, my parents got mad at me and (don't ask how. They... they suck) stole my laptop, forcing me to use my phone for typing this. My phone does not check for grammatical errors, so I have to do that part myself but my mild Dyslexia prevents me from catching them all. **

**Anyway, I have no clue how long they will be holding my laptop hostage, so until then, do not expect any new chapters.  
**

**I'm truly sorry for not being able to update, but I don't have much of a choice.  
**

**Thank you all for reading, favoriting, reviewing and taking your time for my little stories born of a messed-up mind.  
**

**Sincere apologies,  
**

**Tigress  
**


	9. For The Goddess

**A/N: I AM BACK! Yay~  
**

**Standard Disclaimer applies.**

* * *

_~With Dhiren~  
_

His speed could not be matched as he wove around trees, leaped over logs, and thudded down hills. This was the speed of an enraged beast, an animal that knew no bounds. He was going to bring his Lucy home, or die in the process. The mere thought of that fairy's guild brought a snarl to his lips.

_Just you wait, Lucy. I will bring you home._ This thought became a mental mantra as he drew closer to the mountains.

The path soon became steep and flashes of different colored fur were visible through the thick underbrush. Whispers of 'Dhiren's back,' and 'Where's the Goddess?' echoed through the trees. Heavy paws thundered all around him as his progress through the territory was tracked by the patrols.

"Gather everyone at the Sacred Rocks!" Dhiren roared, to be met with answering growls as the others dispersed to inform the rest of the clan. A triumphant smirk adorned his face as he saw the familiar pile of rocks up ahead.

There were about six giant boulders in a pile beside a fast-flowing river, which was known as Roaring Rapids for the heavily churning waters downstream. He leaped upon the largest boulder, to the shock of the thirty or so tigers that were gathered below. Their fur colors varied from red to black, even blue and pink weren't uncommon. But Dhiren was the only white tiger known to have existed, and he was revered for that. However, only the elders and the Goddess herself were allowed to stand upon the Sacred Rocks, no exception.

"Dhiren, what is the meaning of this?" a mottled, brown male rasped from the edge of the clearing.

"Elder Kronos, I humbly apologize for my insubordination," Dhiren said, bowing down in respect for the elder, "but this is an emergency! Our Goddess was kidnapped by the mage's guild named Fairy Tail! They torture her for her uniqueness, for they have never seen a tiger of her status before! She begged of me to gather the forces and rescue her! That is why disobey the rule laid down by our ancestors."

Gasps of shock came up from the crowd, along with yowls of, "Our Goddess! We must save her!"

"Quiet!" Kronos roared, getting to his paws and stepping forward. "If our Goddess is in trouble, it is the duty of her clan to rescue her! I will gather the force to bring her home! Come if your name is called! Damon!"

A well-built male with dark blue fur and golden eyes stepped forward. He bowed low, growling, "I am glad to have been chosen to help our Goddess."

"Nova!"

A lean male with dark red fur and blue eyes came forward. He bowed, just like Damon, and murmured, "I will gladly help Lucy."

"Ririn!" A pink-furred female with sparkling green eyes. "Perceus!" A black male with red eyes. "Aurora!" A beautiful silver female with orange eyes. "Jade!" A female with dark green fur and matching eyes. "Yuki!" An ash-grey male with gleaming purple eyes. "Kyou!" An orange-furred male with red-brown eyes. "Jackie!" A small purplish-black female with grey eyes. "Zecora!" A grey-black male with orange eyes. "Zelith!" A purple female with blue eyes. "Shadow!" An all-black male with black eyes. "Harvey!" A golden male with brown eyes. "Kishan!" A black male with golden eyes, also Dhiren's brother. "Yulqui!" A brown female with grey eyes.

They all came forward and bowed as their names were called.

"One last fighter," Kronos paused as he gathered himself, and bellowed, "Ramnarine!" Shocked and frightened gasps rose up from the gathered tigers.

A heavy-set tan male with no stripes and black paws snarled as he woke up from his nap. He was born without stripes, and nobody knew why, but he was shunned for it. So, in order to survive alongside the others, he left for two years and returned. No one knows what he did away from the clan but they do know that when he returned, he was able to take on all the most skilled fighters at once and defeat them all, earning respect from the others. Even now, he is the most skilled and dangerous beast in the clan, and rarely gets called for missions. As he stalked forward, he growled, "I get to beat some fairy ass? Sounds fun."

"You will all be led by Dhiren, with Ramnarine as second-in-command. Bring back our Goddess!" Kronos raised his head and roared to the heavens, earning roars and yowls from every living being in the gathering, save Ramnarine, who just stood there, and Dhiren, who smirked triumphantly as his eyes gained a manic gleam.

As the noise died down, Dhiren growled, "Let's go." He jumped off the boulder and raced away from the clearing, the other fighters gathered behind him as they kept pace.

* * *

**A/N: In exchange for me being away, I will update two chapters today.  
**


	10. The Battle Begins

**A/N: Second chapter for today, as promised!  
**

**Standard Disclaimer applies.**

* * *

_~With Lucy and the guild~  
_

It had been three days since Lucy had chased off her childhood friend. The entire time, she had been in a sour mood, not to go unnoticed by her friends. She would snap at anyone attempting a conversation with her, even Wendy and Levy. The news that she had been claimed by the Dhiren had soon made it's way to all the people that knew she was a half-breed. Now, she sat alone at a table, her head on the rough surface and her eyes glaring at nowhere in particular. Her mind was filled with thoughts of what had happened in the forest three days ago, and she couldn't shake them away.

Without warning, she shot from her seat, her eyes focused on the closed doors of the guild. "He's here," she growled, her pupils narrowing to slits and a faint golden shimmer coating her body.

"Lucy? What's wrong?" Erza asked, coming over to where the blonde stood.

"It's Dhiren. He's here with the most skilled fighters of the clan." Lucy's voice was slightly guttural, her body trembling in anger. "No... No, it can't be... They even brought _him..._" she muttered, her face paling significantly.

"Why are they here? Who's 'him'?" Erza asked, getting in a fighting stance. By this time, Gray, Natsu, Happy and Levy had come to see what was happening.

"Ramnarine. Nobody's beaten him in a fight. _Ever._ He took on all twenty of the first battle squad at once and nearly killed them," Lucy explained, her eyes distant. "No... Even Kishan? And Nova?"

"They're here for a fight? I'm all fired up!" Natsu exclaimed, grinning.

"Don't take this lightly, Natsu! They could kill you and they won't hesitate to!" Lucy growled, loud enough for the whole guild to hear.

"Who?" Gajeel asked gruffly from where he sat a few tables away.

"The clan," Lucy said through gritted teeth. She made her way to the center of the guild, her eyes narrowed as she expectantly gazed at the door. She dully noted her friends taking their places beside her.

Within a few minutes, the guild doors swung open to reveal seventeen figures, with Dhiren (in his human form, of course) at the front.

A pink-haired girl that looked no older than ten began to jump up and down. "Hihi Lucy-sama~" she giggled, only to be shushed by a red-haired man with a solemn look on his handsome face. "But Nova!" she then whined.

"Be quiet, Ririn," Nova muttered, putting a hand on the girl's head. His eyes focused on Lucy, standing in front of a group gathered with angry looks on their faces. _But Dhiren said Lucy-sama was being tortured... It must be a look-alike. _he thought.

"We're here for Lucy," Dhiren said confidently.

"Like hell you are," Lucy sneered, charging. In less than a minute, Dhiren and Lucy had changed into their respective tiger forms, and the rest of the group took that as the go ahead to attack. They all morphed, and were replaced by a horde of tigers that lashed their tails and snarled.

Ramnarine stepped forward in his stripe-less form and said loudly for all to hear, "I am Ramnarine Mirtis. Who here is brave enough to fight me?"  
Natsu and Gray exchanged glances as they charged the cat, Natsu's fists flaming and Gray's hands in the Ice make stance.

And so, the battle between tigers and mages began.


	11. Lies Get You Nowhere

**Standard Disclaimer applies.**

* * *

_"Like hell you are," Lucy sneered, charging. In less than a minute, Dhiren and Lucy had changed into their respective tiger forms, and the rest of the group took that as the go ahead to attack. They all morphed, and were replaced by a horde of tigers that lashed their tails and snarled._

_Ramnarine stepped forward in his stripe-less form and said loudly for all to hear, "I am Ramnarine Mirtis. Who here is brave enough to fight me?"_  
_Natsu and Gray exchanged glances as they charged the cat, Natsu's fists flaming and Gray's hands in the Ice make stance.  
_

It was complete and utter chaos. Damon battled Gajeel, Pantherlily and Wendy teamed up to fight Ririn, Perceus attacked Erza, Aurora and Jade were up against Mira, Yuki and Kyou fought Fried and Bixlow, Jackie and Zecora teamed up against Elfman and Lisanna, Zelith fought Juvia, Shadow fought Cana, Harvey battled Levy, Kishan and Nova sat on the sidelines and watched the battles, Yulqui fought Evergreen and Natsu and Gray fought Ramnarine.

In the very center of it all, Lucy and Dhiren clashed together in a flurry of flashing teeth and claws.

Dhiren raked his claws along Lucy's side, making her yowl and them gouge his underbelly as she tackled his and stood over his body.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Did you _want _the clan to fall to their deaths?" Lucy hissed through gritted teeth.

"If it means I can bring you home, I will do _anything!_" Dhiren growled, flipping them over so he was on top.

"Anything, you say?! You have no right! Just what lies did you tell them?!" Lucy howled, sinking her teeth into his leg and crunching down, feeling the bone break and hearing Dhiren's scream of pain.

Dhiren leaped backwards, freeing Lucy as he gently held his injured paw off the floor. He glared at Lucy as he let it heal, growling, "Even if they are all slaughtered, I will not care if you are back home, _where you belong!_" He charged her as soon as the bone was completely healed, his teeth bared.

Lucy met the charge head on, and the resulting crash echoed throughout the guild amidst the sounds of fighting, attracting the gazes of Kishan and Nova. They watched silently as the two most dear to them battled.

Nova had always held a soft spot for Lucy, and whenever he became aggravated and snapped at all others, Lucy was the one person able to calm him. He had vowed to always stay by her side, and even told her his feeling for her before she left. She had apologized and said she wasn't ready for commitment. That moment, he ran off, not to be seen for months, and Lucy had disappeared.

Kishan, as Dhiren's brother, always held the white tiger in high regards. He grew up with Lucy and Dhiren, but Dhiren continuously remained the one person worth fighting for to him.

"_I will not forgive you, Dhiren Karys!_" Lucy's roar echoed as she lunged forward, wrapping her jaws around her opponent's neck, much to the shock of those watching.

Dhiren squirmed to free himself, his breathing quickly becoming ragged as the tigress above him gripped harder. He soon stopped struggling and went limp, his eyes rolling of the back of his head.

"Nii-sama!"

"Lucy-sama!"

Kishan and Nova yowled at the same time, jumping forward. Nova ran to Lucy and gripped her scruff, attempting to pull her back as gently as he could. Kishan, on the other hand, immediately rushed to Dhiren's side.

All the fighting in the building had stopped. All eyes had been drawn to the crazed Lucy and limp Dhiren.

"Lucy..." Erza whispered, drawing the point of her sword away from Perceus's neck. All the other combatants freed their foes, instead turning to watch the unfolding drama before them.

Nova successfully pulled Lucy away from her opponent. At first, she had struggled, but then her eyes met Nova's and she stopped. Their eyes immediately went to Kishan, who was carefully lapping his brother's wounds.

Before long, Dhiren's body was encompassed in a blue glow and his more severe wounds closed. Kishan sighed in relief as Dhiren shakily got to his paws, coughing up small spurts of blood.

"D-dammit." Dhiren looked around to see all eyes on him and nobody fighting. His eyes rolled over to see Kishan, looking at him with a worried gaze. Nova, watching him carefully while standing beside Lucy, who was glaring full-force at him.

"Dhiren Karys, not only have you betrayed me, but you have also betrayed the entire clan. You told them lies, born of your own avarice, and brought them here, knowing full well they could be killed. You even brought your own _brother._ You said, and I quote, 'Even if they are all slaughtered, I will not care'." Lucy stated, earning shocked stares and gasps at her words from the members of her clan. "Give me _one _good reason not to execute you here and now," she ordered.

"B-because, you are mi-" Dhiren started, only to be interrupted.

"_Shut up!_ I do not belong to anyone, and even if I did, it is not an excuse to bring my family to their deaths. You better have another reason," Lucy sneered coldly.

Unable to find a way out of this, Dhiren resorted to a last-ditch technique: seduction. He stepped forward, narrowing his eyes suggestively, while he flicked his tail beneath her chin. "Because I _care _about you, Lucy Heartfilia. More than you will ever know," he smoothly purred.

"Shut up, you ignorant half-wit!" Nova suddenly snapped, his fur bristling as he bared his teeth at Dhiren. Shocked whispers of '_Did Nova just snap?'_ traveled throughout the tigers.

"Nova," Lucy murmured, giving a glance to him to which the red tiger closed his eyes and responded with a small nod.

"Dhiren Karys, due to your actions, and blatant disrespect of my direct orders, you are hereby exiled from the clan, the mountains, and anything to do with tigers or Fairy Tail."


	12. Jus Esate Dabar Karalius

**A/N: Guess what, everybody! Two more chapters (including this one) left! Both will be posted today, at separate times. But don't worry, I'm already writing a sequel! The sequel will be strictly LucyxNova, but it will have a lot of action in it. It's not going to be mushy, sugary-sweet romance; those make me sick. It will be hard, dangerous, and thrilling, continuously battling.  
**

**Standard Disclaimer applies.**

* * *

_"Dhiren Karys, due to your actions, and blatant disrespect of my direct orders, you are hereby exiled from the clan, the mountains, and anything to do with tigers or Fairy Tail." _

Lucy had used her authority voice, one that bespoke of power and rule and only the leaders of the clan possessed. Not one tiger could disobey direct orders when they are said in that voice.

Unable to deny her words, Dhiren snarled and pressed his ears against his head, lowering himself so that his chest brushed against the wooden floor. Kishan, however, couldn't let that happen.

"I cannot allow you to banish Nii-sama, Lucy," the black tiger growled, stepping forward.

"Kishan, I cannot allow him to endanger the clan any longer. If you wish to stay with him, by all means, leave with him," Lucy started sweetly, stepping forward as her voice became hard and cold, "but you will be considered as much of the enemy as he is, and will be treated in the same manner."

Kishan took a step back, slightly surprised. He then bowed low and rumbled, "I cannot leave the clan." As he straightened up, he shot a quick glance over at Jade.

Lucy caught the glance and smirked, knowing full well the emotions showing in her friend's eyes. "Ho? Alright then," she giggled mischievously, causing Kishan tolook down, embarrassment clearly etched on his face. With a small smile, she leaned forward and whispered in his ear so no one else could hear, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. But if you want her, you'll have to fess up soon or she'll be taken."

Kishan looked at Lucy, his eyes shining as he murmured, "Got it."

Nova and Dhiren were currently having a glaring contest behind Lucy's back.

"Oh yeah. Dhiren, if you don't get a mile away from me in the next thirty seconds, I won't hesitate to kill you," Lucy chirped in a dangerously sweet voice.

Sweeping one last glare among the spectators and Nova, Dhiren spun around and rocketed out the guild, slamming the doors shut in his wake.

"Aah, finally, he's gone," Lucy sighed in relief, turning to her gathered friends and meeting the confused gazes of those that hadn't known she was part tiger. "... I have more explaining to do, don't I?" she asked with a grimace. With another sigh, she explained to rest of the guild everything she had told the first few, with the added bonus of ranks, claims, and a few legends to entertain them.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold it. Should you be telling these _outsiders _clan secrets?" The voice came from Ramnarine, who pushed his way through the crowd to stare at Lucy.

"They are my family just as much as the clan is, _Ramnarine._ And besides, it's funny you should talk, Mr. Mountain Lion," Lucy said, smirking at Ramnarine's shocked expression. "What, did you think I've been in a hole since I left? I did some research on your different appearance, _Mr. Mountain Lion. _You aren't a tiger at all. You're one of those filthy, thieving, mongrels that kill other species' cubs in exchange for their own. That is what you are."

"Oh so _that's _why you were reading that book on big cat species'!" Levy exclaimed.

Lucy nodded. "So, what will it be? Will you leave the mountains, or will you stay and devote yourself to protecting them?" she asked Ramnarine.

"What do you think the whole reason of me going to train was? Of course I'm staying," the male muttered, looking down.

"Good~" Lucy chimed, now turning to Nova. "C'mere," she said softly. Nova stepped closer to her, his head slightly tilted in confusion until she rested her chin on his head and muttered, "Jus esate dabar karalius*," when his eyes widened, as did all the other tigers as Nova's body glowed a radiant gold.

"B-but, _why?_" Nova stammered as Lucy backed away from him.

"Because I trust you, Nova. ...And I need you to erase Dhiren's claim," she said, giving him a reassuring smile.

"Wait... Did you say _erase _the claim? How is that even possible?" Gray asked, utterly confused by this.

"Oh yeah... If I chose a king and I am claimed by someone other than the king, then the king, if he has enough feelings for me, can erase the claim," Lucy chirped.

All eyes turned to Nova, who virtually shrank in his skin, his ears pressed flat. "You didn't have to announce it so loudly," he mumbled.

"You choose _now_ to be shy?" Lucy's brow raised a fraction of an inch.

Nova looked up, sighing in defeat, as Lucy smirked. At the same time, their bodies glowed, Lucy's glow was gold and Nova glow was red, and in their place stood a very human Nova and Lucy. "You asked for it," Nova chuckled, smirking as he drew her body closer to him and pressed his lips fiercely upon hers.

As the two kissed, their spectators' jaws gaped and Natsu's chest lit with a fierce flame - the flame of jealousy.

But that's not all that happened. The cobalt blue tiger shape that rested between Lucy's shoulder blades turned red and then disappeared.

Nothing was left of Dhiren's claim.

* * *

***"Jus esate dabar karalius" - Lithuanian - "You are now the king."**


	13. When Everything Is All Right

**A/N: Last chapter~ Make sure you don't miss the sequel, _The Tiger's Revenge._ It will be posted six day from now~  
**

**Standard Disclaimer applies.**

* * *

It was two weeks after Dhiren's betrayal, and everything was going smoothly. After the traitor's claim was removed, Nova and the rest of the clan said their goodbyes, Ririn making a fuss and Kishan... seemed to be stalking Jade. She knew what he was doing, of course, since he didn't hide it very well, but she was too polite to say anything. Afterwards, they all left for the mountains.

Unfortunately, Lucy was immediately showered with questions concerning her tiger family, to which she patiently answered, even though she just wanted to go home and _sleep. _

A few days ago, Natsu had been curious about what would happen if Lucy got a hold of catnip. It was a living hell. Lucy had switched to her tiger form and lost control of her own strength as she chased around Happy who, in her hallucination drowned mind, was a flying fish. In the end, she destroyed over half the tables in the guild hall, a table, and ended up gnawing on Bixlow's dolls. The entire guild vowed to never let Lucy near catnip again.

Now, everything was normal again and Lucy was more open with her natural tiger habits, such as: eating large quantities of barely cooked meat and eating very few vegetables or fruits.

She was currently sitting at a table with Natsu, Erza, Gray and Happy when the doors of the guild slowly swung open to reveal a red-haired man and an aged, brown haired man. The pair walked forward with Nova carefully watching the old man's movements.

Lucy suddenly sprung to her feet and bowed low to the ground. Her friends, who hadn't watched her actions, looked up and gaped as they saw Lucy bowing down.

"Elder Kronos," Lucy murmured, straightening up.

Kronos chuckled, his wrinkled face splitting into a wide grin, "No need to bow to me, Lucy-sama."

"What brings you here?" Lucy asked, dully noting her team standing behind her.

"When Nova came back and told me what happened, I told him I didn't believe it and wanted to see for myself," Kronos rasped.

"It's all true. Isn't that form harder for you to maintain?" Lucy asked, concerned.

"Ahh, I'm fine." Kronos dismissed the matter with a wave of his hand. "Since you're okay, I guess we can go back now."

Team Natsu watched as Kronos turned and walked back to the entrance.

"Damn old man... He refused to take the train so we had to _walk _here. We started off eleven days ago and we just now got here. I swear, if he doesn't get used to modern times my head will _explode_," Nova muttered.

Lucy flashed him an apologetic look. "Good luck, Nova-_sama,_" she said with a grin, putting emphasis on the -sama.

"Oh God, please don't call me that," Nova pleaded, giving her a stressed look.

With a giggle, Lucy hugged him for a minute and then said, "Okay, Nova. Old man Kronos is gonna get crabby and complain the whole way home if you don't hurry."

"Oh no." Nova dashed off to where Kronos was waiting by the door, Lucy and her friends watching him.

"Ha, he doesn't even know old man Kronos is a sucker for _*bleeps out words*._" Lucy laughed, sitting back down, ignoring her friends' bewildered looks.

Yeah, this life was okay.

Unfortunately, peace never lasts for long.


End file.
